To bee or not to bee

[jswinf]

^^I'd think it'd be tough to play in a mask and a cape.

In Arizona we mostly worry about rattlesnakes and sunstroke. Maybe the odd Gila monster.

[corbind]

You Florida residents at CRAZY! Gators, snakes, swarms of insects the norm...sounds more like a survival event. Any ball near he water is the gator's...

[dParis]

Great thread. Time to pin some stars on this one.

Originally Posted by jc4.0

The other day, we were playing doubles when an entire HIVE of bees descended on our side of the court. There were at least a thousand of them, no kidding. I just kept playing, while my partner went into a frenzy.(Really? Why?) We won the point, and the discussion of a "let" was never had. The bees were only there for that point, then they moved on off toward the west.

on the other hand if you want to be nice about it, no problem with that. I'm just so used to being "attacked" by bees, gnats, wasps, mosquitoes, birds, etc. that I'd only stop the point if something actually stung me, and then would not necessarily expect to replay the point. We have lots of birds who occasionally defecate on us, and the point continues.

My God, this sounds more like a recurring nightmare than a day at the tennis courts. A THOUSAND BEES desended on your court for only ONE POINT? Sounds like a very fickle colony, but I do hear from many people that they (people, not necessarily bees) prefer the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic, so maybe not so strange. You really kept your cool under the circumstances. You wouldn't happen to bee the Bee Beard Guy, would you?

Regarding the incontinent birds, some cultures say that getting hit by bird crap is good luck. Did you win the match?

Originally Posted by corbind

You Florida residents at CRAZY! Gators, snakes, hanging chads, swarms of insects the norm...sounds more like a survival event. Any ball near he water is the gator's...

Count our blessings in the 312.

I was golfing in Florida and one of the sand traps was playing host to a large alligator. So when they say if you go into that bunker you're dead, it isn't hyperbole.

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by corbind

You Florida residents at CRAZY! Gators, snakes, swarms of insects the norm...sounds more like a survival event. Any ball near he water is the gator's...

I was walking back to our condo a few months ago with the wife after dark. Just after getting into the gate, my wife said "Oh my God". I had no idea what frightened her. She pointed about 15 feet away and there was a 5 foot alligator smilling at us. If people don't feed the gators, they are scared of people. Still is unnerving when they get that close.

I grew up on a lake and a handful of times, a water mocassin got between me and the shoreline. Kinda scary. Another time, a buddy of mine killed a mocassin with a shovel. He tried to use this long pole to grab the snake and fling it over his head behind him into the water. He did not get enough velocity and the snake slid down the pole right on his head. He was flailing around in the water with a dead bloody mocassin on him!

Last story for the day. A few years ago, a co-worker of mine had a large hornet's nest in the base of a tree that his lawn guy begged him to have a professional remove. So he got "the cheap guy" who came without a bee suit. The guy claimed he could kill the nest without needing a suit. The key was to stay calm and show no fear. My co-worker has the video of it. About 10 seconds after the guy started spraying, he started slapping his arm a little. Then he drops his gear, his glasses fall off and he goes off in a full sprint with a swarm of angry hornets behind him. Would be great material for America's Funniest Home Videos. The nest was about 6 feet long when they finally dug it out!

[Taxvictim]

Somebody mention Zorro?

[OrangePower]

Originally Posted by corbind

You Florida residents at CRAZY! Gators, snakes, swarms of insects the norm...sounds more like a survival event. Any ball near he water is the gator's...

That's nothing; here in NorCal we have cougars.

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by OrangePower

That's nothing; here in NorCal we have cougars.

I don't consider middle aged women as dangerous as alligators...until you break up with them.

[OrangePower]

Originally Posted by mikeler

I don't consider middle aged women as dangerous as alligators...until you break up with them.

Oh, no, I meant actual cougars, as in, mountain lions from the nearby hills.






NOT!!

[OrangePower]

Originally Posted by jc4.0

You think we don't have cougars in south Florida?! My entire team is made of cougars. Grrrrrowwwwwllll!!!

I defy you to find a ladies' league team down here that doesn't have at least a few. We are fierce! And we'll stalk day or night! Not that I'm looking for prey at the moment, personally - I just keep my bright green cat-eyes open. I'm allowed to watch Nadal change his shirt - and wish I was 20 again!

This is true. But definitely a different subspecies from what we have here in the Bay Area. (I'm often in Fort Lauderdale, so can only comment on that area - don't usually head down to Miami or north to Palm Beach.)

By the way, we really do have mountain lions in the Bay Area (although sightings are rare)... and South Florida has panthers (endangered).

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by OrangePower

This is true. But definitely a different subspecies from what we have here in the Bay Area. (I'm often in Fort Lauderdale, so can only comment on that area - don't usually head down to Miami or north to Palm Beach.)

By the way, we really do have mountain lions in the Bay Area (although sightings are rare)... and South Florida has panthers (endangered).

Might as well tell my Panther story too. There was one brought to a high school football game since one of the teams playing had that as their mascot. This was a big sleek black cat. It was on the other side of the fence with a chain around its neck. I put my finger through the fence to pet the great beast. The big cat instantly turned around and tried to attack me through the fence! I got yelled at by the owner and moved along.

[sureshs]

http://www.tennis.com/articles/templ...8220&zoneid=32


When JJ Met Bee: All of the buzz in Birmingham was that Francesca Schiavone and Sabine Lisicki lost in the second round, but Jelena Jankovic faced a tough out herself when a bee came at her as she prepared to return serve against UK challenger Melanie South. Here is the best part of that write-up: "Instead, Jankovic suddenly darted toward the back stop, calling out 'Wait, wait, wait.' South then double-faulted."

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by mikeler

Where I grew up, there were alligators in the canal behind the courts.

It was Roddick wearing a Lacoste shirt.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by jswinf

^^I'd think it'd be tough to play in a mask and a cape.

In Arizona we mostly worry about rattlesnakes and sunstroke. Maybe the odd Gila monster.

Gila monster think you da odd one

[axel89]

Originally Posted by mikeler

Where I grew up, there were alligators in the canal behind the courts. It was always an adventure retrieving a ball back there that did not make it all the way into the water.




Luckily where I play they spray for insects. I forget about all the critters at night until I play at a neighborhood court.

please post more stories there AMAZING!

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by axel89

please post more stories there AMAZING!

Hmm, what other material do I have. Let's see, I was about 10 years old riding my bike and a bumblebee decided to fly up my shorts and sting me on the leg. Not fun. Another time, I knocked a hornet's nest off a ledge and ran like heck and was fortunate they could not catch me. The next morning I went back and all the eggs had been eaten out of the nest and there were 10 dead hornets and a dead blue jay. Guess they had a little tussle after I left.

When I was 16, I was tasked with killing hornet's nests at this old mansion being converted into a tennis club. They will chase after you, so you need to spray and get into a safe place in a few seconds. The spray goes about 20 feet so you get a head start, but these things are fast. I had successfully taken 2 out the day before, but this one required the longest running distance to the door. I sprayed and instantly saw 3 fly towards me. I made a "bee" line for the door and closed it. Thought I was OK until I looked down and there was a big black hornet on my thigh. It stung me and my entire leg turned red for a few days.

I had the same thing happen in college in South Carolina. I sprayed a wasps nest and my future father-in-law, closed the door as I ran in. He knocked the wasp off my thigh just before it stung me. They seem to go for legs.

[sureshs]

Why were you wearing shorts when dealing with bees, wasps and creatures like that? Usually long pants and shirts, gloves, and a netting over the head is the protocol.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by mikeler

She pointed about 15 feet away and there was a 5 foot alligator smilling at us. If people don't feed the gators, they are scared of people.

Alligator smile because you tasty

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by sureshs

Why were you wearing shorts when dealing with bees, wasps and creatures like that? Usually long pants and shirts, gloves, and a netting over the head is the protocol.

Well, I was a kid when most of these stories happened. Also, I was not walking up to the nest and doing a documentary. It gets a little warm here in the summers so I only wear pants under protest.

[axel89]

[quote=mikeler;6641106]Well, I was a kid when most of these stories happened. Also, I was not walking up to the nest and doing a documentary. It gets a little warm here in the summers so I only wear pants under protest. [/QUOTE
Dang va is pretty calm compared to Florida

[chatt_town]

Exactly what I was talking about in another thread....You don't get two chances to win a point. I'd play a let as well as long as they didn't attempt to return the serve first.

Originally Posted by CaldwellYSR

I'd just give them the let and be done with it. Even in a tournament or league play... If the guy got attacked by a bee and you saw him react to that and make no move to go for the ball then there's no question... Now if he tried to go for the ball and missed then claimed it was some bee's fault then it might be a different story.